1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to video interphone system and to wired or wireless control, including IR and RF, used for remotely operating electrical devices and appliances.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Wired or wireless remote control devices including InfraRed (IR) or RF transmitter for remotely operating electrical appliances such as television receivers, DVD or VCR recorders, audio players, air conditioners, motorized curtains, lighting and other electrical appliances in homes and apartments employ serial or other coding that are configured for operating only with a specific appliance, manufactured by a specific manufacturer. The problem is that each manufacturer of a given appliance uses proprietary technologies for the remote controlling of the appliance with randomly selected frequencies, bandwidth, clocks, signal levels, signal polarities, modulation, protocols and coding techniques, all of which makes the remote control of appliances by different manufacturers incompatible. This prevents  the use of a remote control panel for a mixture of appliances and/or systems produced by different manufacturers. The result is that control panels, including panels that employ the well known IR or RF remote control signals for a specific appliance cannot be used with other appliances that are installed in the same house or apartment. This state impedes the advances in home automation, the concept of which is the controlling of different appliances from the same control panel. Current home automation systems therefore mandate the use of interfaces, relay boxes and extensive re-programming of control panels for the integration of different appliances into home automation control system, which is complicated, time consuming and costly. Such a method and apparatus for utilizing unknown remote control signal for integrating remote control keys with video interphone system is also disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 11/024,233 dated Dec. 28, 2004.